Bibb Co. Wants Part in Border Dispute Decision | News

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Bibb County is asking a Fulton County judge to reconsider her decision.

Judge Kelly Amanda Lee's ruling would move the county line south, which would shift dozens of homes to Monroe.

Bibb attorney Virgil Adams says no one told Bibb County about Wednesday's court hearing. He says that's why today he filed an 'emergency motion to intervene' saying Bibb County should be part of the discussion.

The current Bibb-Monroe line is roughly the same border drawn in 1822, but both counties have been in debate for decades over whether that's accurate.

In 2005, a Monroe County grand jury asked the state to give them a definitive answer. Governor Sonny Perdue hired a Warner Robins man named Terry Scarborough to survey the land.

After researching old documents and going out to the properties, Scarborough said the correct line should be a few hundred yards south, which would shift the line in Monroe's favor. Shortly after, Bibb contested that decision.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp gave each county time to share its opinion, and in August of 2011 he rejected Scarborough's line.

Monroe asked him to reconsider, but he turned them down.

December of that year, Monroe asked a judge to review Kemp's decision. After several petitions back and forth, Judge Lee ruled that Monroe couldn't legally file for judicial review. That was in September 2012.

A month later, in October, Monroe tried another route called a Writ of Mandamus, which accuses Kemp of not fulfilling his duties since no definitive border was drawn back in 2011.

The Secretary of State tried to question that, but Wednesday Lee ruled to accept the line drawn by Scarborough.